America not Exceptional at the NY Times

Charles Blow(hard) opines today that America is not exceptional. And he goes on to site statistics that support his conclusion.

Is America exceptional among nations? Are we, as a country and a people and a culture, set apart and better than others? Are we, indeed, the “shining city upon a hill” that Ronald Reagan described? Are we “chosen by God and commissioned by history to be a model to the world” as George W. Bush said?

This year, for the first time, most Americans did not say yes.

According to a report issued on Thursday by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, when Americans were asked if they agreed with the statement “our people are not perfect but our culture is superior to others,” only 49 percent agreed. That’s down from 60 percent in 2002, the first time that Pew asked the question.

Have you ever noticed when liberals discuss America, it's always in terms of what's wrong with America? And never what's right? So it comes as no surprise, when the Blows, the Krugmans and the Milbanks open their pie holes.

We must work our way out of these doldrums. We must learn our way out. We must innovate our way out.

We have to stop snuggling up to nostalgia, acknowledge that we have allowed a mighty country to be brought low and set a course to restitution. And that course is through hard work and tough choices. You choose greatness; it doesn’t choose you.

"And that course is through hard work and tough choices. You choose greatness; it doesn't choose you."

Impressive. And this coming from a diehard liberal. If the answer is more government handouts, bailouts, social welfare and entitlements...exactly when does that motivate and incentivize Americans to 'work hard'? To 'innovate'? To 'choose greatness'?

Really?

And that means that we must invest in our future. We must invest in our crumbling infrastructure. We must invest in the industries of the future. We must invest in a generation of foundering and forgotten children. We must invest in education. Cut-and-grow is ruinous mythology.

"We must invest in the industries of the future. We must invest in a generation of foundering and forgotten children.We must invest in education."

These kind of grand sweeping esoteric comments always crack me up. FYI Blow-man...free enterprise and the market place determines the 'industries of the future'- not government you twit. How's that Solyndra and Bright Source Energy working out for you?

And for goodness sake...exactly WHO are the 'foundering' children? And WHO has 'forgotten' them? We've got No Child Left Behind programs, we've got billions upon billions pouring into public education. Enough DREAM acts and minority scholarships to float a third world country for God's sake.

If liberals and their big government will get the Eff out of the way, we'll be fine...dare I say Great.